ICD 10 Coding Alert
Don’t Assume Connection Between Immunosuppression and RA
Question: Am I able to code M06.9 with D89.89 if the patient suffers immunosuppression due to the rheumatoid arthritis (RA)? AAPC Forum Participant Answer: Both M06.9 (Rheumatoid arthritis, unspecified) and D89.89 (Other specified disorders involving the immune mechanism, not elsewhere classified) can technically be used together if the patient suffers immunosuppression that’s related to the RA. However, you will need more information from your provider before you can document a connection. Why? ICD-10 Official Guidelines, Section I.A.15, states “for conditions not specifically linked by these relational terms in the classification or when a guideline requires that a linkage between two conditions be explicitly documented, provider documentation must link the conditions in order to code them as related.” This means you cannot reasonably assume the immunosuppression is an inherent part of the RA, and you will need provider documentation to establish that connection.
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